Tag: brelsford

Whether you’re in a front desk role or trying to scale up in your career, here are five tips that can help move your career in the right direction:

Get the hard stuff done first.

That’s right, cross it off before the clock strikes 9! Whatever it is that you want to put off, whether it’s responding to email or filing papers, do it first. This means once the stuff you detest is done, you get to do all the tasks that bring you joy.

Take ‘massive action.’

What separates the go-getters from the not-so-go getters is massive action. What do I mean by massive action? If you don’t yet have a skill that would really benefit the job you’re doing or the job you want next, go out and develop that skill. If there’s research that would benefit the company that nobody’s doing — go do that research. It’s more than showing initiative. It’s all about actually doing the work that makes a difference for the business. Don’t let your fear or imposter syndrome keep you from greatness!

Never stop learning.

Learning encompasses keeping up with business trends, technology, the actions of your competitor businesses, and more. Teach yourself about nonviolent communication, empowering women-owned and women-run businesses, the hottest trends in benefits, how to retain employees and keep them happy – the learning opportunities are endless. Keep at it.

Become a brand.

Utilize social media to create a strong personal brand, and where appropriate, align it with your business. Personal branding is essentially the process of showcasing the kind of person you are and establishing a reliable and respected voice. Journalist Dan Rather and actress Melissa McCarthy both have strong personal brands, though they are quite different from each other. They’re also great examples because of their longevity. When Dan Rather came back into the public spotlight after he retired, his audience understood why, because his values and his voice demanded that he step back into the spotlight, in light of current events. You don’t have to think like Dan Rather or like Melissa McCarthy, but you can take a page (or eight) out of their personal branding books.

Cultivate relationships.

Relationships are essential, and you might not know which relationships will bear fruit in the long term. As long as the relationships aren’t unhealthy, cultivate all of them, and one or more or many will prove to be valuable in the long run.

Nobody gets a map when we appear in the world, no matter what philosophy or religion we follow. We’re all winging it a bit, especially in the beginning. But if we have measurable goals, we can make them attainable goals. Once they’re attainable goals, we can break them down into action, and then tackle that action one day at a time. If you’re dreaming of that corner office, use these five actions to keep your eyes on your own prize.

In this dynamic world, it is difficult to find people who can act as the sole resource, and are also the only source of expertise in your organization, hence it is important for any company to identify the right set of people and invest in them.

It is interesting to think about what the professional domain at large would look like if organizations were being run solely by all-powerful, ultra-accomplished, ingenious, multi-talented beings who had an expertise in every possible field and who knew everything there was to know about everything.

Well, for one, it would be a far less diverse landscape. Fortunately, therefore, the human brain, as well as the general human potential, simply does not support such a scenario, leaving us with both a challenge as well as an opportunity.

The challenge here is that in a reality where it is impossible for one single person to be the sole resource and source of expertise that a company needs, there is an always an urgent need to look out for all the right people who would effectively fill those gaps. But the opportunity here is that the process of bringing people and talent onboard has the potential to do so much more for your company than just filling gaps!

Today’s Talent Forecast says

Is there an organization anywhere that does not invest its time and energy in planning for the future? (If there is, my heartiest condolences to them on their inevitable downfall and demise.) Planning ahead lies at the heart of all organizational goals and it is the one process that determines all the individual elements that will be factored into the organization’s framework in the future – including, of course, its talent.

But how do we know when or how to bring the right talent onboard?

Let’s start with getting back to the organizational planning process. Priorities are discussed, goals are set and decisions are made – more often than not within the confines of a closed conference room by the people primarily in power – the senior management. An error made most often in these situations is the exclusion of the individual managers or department heads more closely involved with the specifics of the issues being deliberated upon. The fact that these department heads are left out of the major decision-making process means that the organization misses out on their potential for providing information and advisement; their expertise, after all, is all about gaining a better understanding of the status quo as well as the nitty-gritty of the everyday dealings (which would help better understand the feasibility and impact of the decisions). Most importantly, however, it means missing out on their informed suggestions to bring onboard the talent and expertise that the company currently needs or might possibly need in the future.

As a general rule, including more people in the decision-making process not only helps optimize the talent you already have but helps your company gain foresight and in some cases, an edge when it comes to determining its fate in the future. It is on the basis of the educated guesses, instinct and professional opinions of the internal ‘people in the know’ that some of the most successful companies have been able to make the significant decisions that were not understood at the time but reaped incredible rewards years down the line.

This holds true most prominently in the matter of the what, who and when to bring the right talent onboard.

You see, it works as an incredible, beneficial cycle – if one were to let it run, that is. The talent you already have, bring with them the knowledge and thorough understanding of their department, which in turn makes them the best people to predict the trends in that department and hence identify and bring the talent that would help your department keep up with those trends. What’s more, since they are the in-house talent lending their skills to recruitment, they are better able to recognize the value and culture fit that their company is looking for.

The right talent in a company can achieve so much more than fulfilling job descriptions or playing pre-defined parts in the organizational story. It has the potential to effectively and accurately chart out a map to the future, filling the gaps (and job descriptions) that the company does not even know it needs yet! Previously unexplored perspectives come into view and when this talent becomes a part of the core strategy meetings, rest assured your company will be steered into the right direction and invigorated with new, fresh talent.

Everyone agonizes over their resumes. We all worry that if it’s not perfect, we may not get a call from a recruiter. However, when you constantly gather feedback from peers and experts, you may end up making the job search too confusing before you even start.

Ultimately, you only want to consider one thing when you write your resume: the reader. The reader isn’t the evil applicant tracking system that throws out your resume according to some algorithm. The reader is a real, live person. Your task is to make it easy for them to understand what you do and what your accomplishment are in 1-2 pages.

Trust me, I’ve read my share of resumes. In the last four years, I’ve averaged between 20-35 open technical jobs that I was responsible for filling. In each, I selected between 5-10 candidates to interview and put forward. This equated to between 200 and 350 people I spoke to – every week. Not to mention every hiring manager I spoke to as well. Over a year, this equals 16,800 resumes. That’s just the ones that I selected, not counting all the others I declined.

Take it from me: Here are the five things you want to cut from your resume, if you haven’t already:

1. Multiple Fonts
For the most part, recruiters aren’t going to read your whole resume. They’ll look at your title, company, and dates of employment for each job, and then move on.

The human eye is a funny thing. If you have several different fonts on the page, it may mess with the reader’s comprehension. They’ll have to reread certain sections of the resume just to make sure they understand – if you’re lucky, that is. If you aren’t lucky, they will just move on to the next candidate.

Plus, all those fonts are making my eyes hurt. Please stop.

2. ‘References Given Upon Request’
We know they are. We will ask you for references if we decide to give you an offer. This is premature in the relationship. All you’ve done so far was send a cover letter and resume

3. Long, Boring Bullet Points
Here’s a good rule of thumb: If a sixth grader can read your resume and understand what you do for a living, than a non-technical recruiter can, too. The odds that the person reviewing your resume doesn’t fully understand what you do for a living are high. That’s why you want to write punchy bullets with accomplishment statements woven in.

Use a simple format to present your tasks and achievements quickly. White space is your friend. I promise.

4. Funny or Odd Email Addresses – or Worse, Your Company Email Address
It’s a job search. Be professional. I once had a job seeker list “foxylady@gmail.com” as her email address. After 15 years of doing this work, I still remember it. Enough said.

5. Industry or Company Jargon
The reader has no idea what the “Tiger Team” or the “Eagle Project” were. Be safe and drop anything highly technical and industry- or company-specific – especially acronyms. If you must use such language, spell it out. High-tech companies are known for having special languages that don’t translate to anyone outside of the company. Years ago, I read resumes from candidates who were let go from Intel. It was confusing and time-consuming. They were lucky, because I ended up calling them and asking a lot of questions. Most recruiters won’t do that. They’ll just skip over you entirely.

Job seekers often write too much (and never too little) out of fear. They are afraid if they don’t list every little detail on their resume, they won’t get a call to interview. This approach often backfires. If you put your resume “out there” for 30 days and no one responds, stop sending it out. Chances are what you wrote on your resume works just fine, but you should also know when it’s time to pull the document and refresh it.

You’ve updated and posted your resume, signed up for job alerts, and have consistently applied to jobs. Yet, you still haven’t landed your #NewJob2017. Don’t dismay. Our internet sources tell us that it takes roughly one month to find a job for every $10,000 of the paycheck you would like to earn. For example, if you were looking for a job that pays $50,000 a year your job search could take 5 months.

Below are some ways to help take away some of your job search pain and put your mind at ease:

1. Take a Break
You don’t want to run the risk of job search burnout. Taking some time away from your job search to focus on things like your family, friends and health will help you appreciate all that’s good in your life in order to help lift your spirits.

2. Simplify Things
If you’re finding it difficult to make time for your job search perhaps you have too much going on in your life. Look to rid yourself of distractions like social media and TV which can suck up your free time fast. Also, see if you can delegate some of your household chores or at least save some for the weekend when you’re not so exhausted.

3. Meditate
Meditation is a tried and true practice of many of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world. From LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner to the incomparable Oprah Winfrey, it is difficult to deny the benefits of meditation. While there are many different methods, studies have shown that meditation can change your brain matter, reduce stress and help you make better decisions.

4. Get Outside“Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
Sometimes, when you’re in a funk, all you need is just a change of scenery. Sure, winter isn’t the most pleasant of seasons to be outside if you dislike the cold and live in New England (we feel sorry for you) but it’s scientifically proven that being one with nature is an easy way to boost your mental and physical well-being.

5. Get Exercise
Seeing the pattern here? Like being outside, there are endless mental and physical health benefits to getting your move on. Even if it’s just going for a 15-minute stroll, getting your blood flowing is imperative to feeling happy and healthy.

6. Treat Yourself
Just because you need a new job doesn’t mean you have to deprive yourself of happiness. Sure, you may not be able to afford eating out, or clothes shopping, or Netflix even, but you can still find enjoyment in some small things. Life is short and you shouldn’t hang on to the idea that you will cheer up as soon as you get a better gig. By finding peace throughout the rough patches builds character and makes you a stronger you in the end.

Gone are the days of the initial interview being a face-to-face one. Most employers today first conduct a phone screen. These are usually shorter and less in-depth than a full in-person interview. But they give the employer enough to go on to decide whether a candidate should move forward in the hiring process. We see some candidates make the same common mistakes in phone interviews, which impact their job search success. What are they – and how can you avoid them? Here’s a look:

1. Not setting aside a quiet, private time to talk.

When it comes to successful phone interviews, it’s important to schedule them at a time when you can focus and will have total privacy. That means doing phone screens while you’re driving, or while your kids are all at home isn’t a good idea. Nor is it wise to schedule one while you’re at work, sitting at your desk. Keep in mind, if the environment isn’t quiet and distraction-free, you’re not going to be able to focus and provide the best answers.

2. Not preparing.

Just as you would for an in-person interview, it’s important to prepare for a phone screen. That means researching the company ahead of time and developing a list of questions you’d like to ask. That also means reviewing the job postings again ahead of time so it’s fresh in your mind and thinking through how your background and skills are a good fit for the position.

3. Eating and drinking during the interview.

It’s ok to keep a glass of water next to you in case your throat gets dry. But other than that, don’t eat or drink during the interview. Nothing makes a worse impression in a phone screen than the sound of chewing or slurping.

4. Using call waiting during the interview.

If another call comes in during your phone screen, ignore it unless it’s an emergency. You should never put a hiring manager on hold, unless you want to send the message that you don’t really want the job.

5. Talking too much or too little.

It’s up to you to persuade the hiring manager that you’re the best fit for the job. That means providing persuasive answers that showcase your strengths and proven record of success. That does not mean droning on, or giving one-word answers to interview questions. If there’s a pause in the conversation, don’t jump to fill it with mindless chatter. Let the hiring manager take control.

Phone screens are the new interview. So, avoid the mistakes above so you can ace yours – and move onto the next step in the hiring process.

Recent survey shows that a large percentage of workers, 85%, work more than one job. Is that true for you?

[COURTESY OF STAFFINGINDUSTRY.COM]

INTEREST IN SIDE GIGS ESCALATES, SURVEY FINDS

A large percentage of workers, 85%, hold at least one side gig or secondary source of employment in addition to their primary job, according to a study commissioned by Spherion Staffing. Of that group, more than half, 54%, hold two or more side gigs, extending their skills across multiple roles and fields of work.

Among workers holding at least one side gig, a desire to supplement their current income and to make money to save for future interests and responsibilities were the most frequently cited reasons for doing so, at 42% and 37% respectively. In particular, 57% of female workers deemed income growth the main inspiration for their side-gig activity, far surpassing the 31% of male workers who said the same.

“The escalating interest in side gigs across the American workforce does not necessarily reflect that workers are unhappy with their job, but rather a desire to pursue new and exciting growth opportunities — be they financial or personal,” said Sandy Mazur, Spherion division president. “Given this growth, side gig flexibility must be taken into account as companies refine their recruitment and retention plans. Employers and employees must find a middle ground that gives workers freedom to explore supplemental opportunities without inhibiting productivity or performance.”

Additional findings from the survey include:

Nearly half of workers surveyed, 47%, said that changing societal norms have set the expectation that at least one side gig is necessary.

Among workers holding at least one side gig, 18% said they are doing so because it is considered standard in the modern workforce.

25% of workers who have never before held a side gig say they are “extremely” or “very” likely to pick one up in the next year, with millennial workers leading the charge at 43%.

65% of those who have never held a side gig said they have at least given it some thought.

The Spherion survey was conducted online in April 2017 with global market research organization Research Now.

• I can’t get past the Applicant Tracking Systems.
• I apply for jobs and never hear back.
• I’m perfectly qualified. I suspect my age is the problem.

From my perspective, there certainly is a disconnect. Here are the facts. Unemployment in the U.S. is 4.7%, which is down from last month’s figure of 5.0% and the new Job Openings and Labor Turnover (JOLT) report for April has just been released. There are now over 5.7 million job openings, which equals last July’s peak on records going back to 2001. This problem isn’t going away anytime soon.

Here’s why you can’t fill jobs and what you can do to change this.

You don’t know where you are going. I always tell my clients that we first have to establish where we are going before we can figure out how to get there. I use the example of someone in Detroit who is planning a trip. Is the goal to visit Canada, which is a stone’s throw away or is it to go to South America? Canada is an easy jaunt, that doesn’t even require packing a lunch. South America is quite a different story.

Decide where you are going in terms of your talent strategy, before mapping out your entire plan to get there. By doing so, you’ll be able to find a direct route that will get you to your destination in a timely and cost-efficient manner.

You’re too tentative. Have you ever been in a situation where someone really wanted you, more than anyone else? They may have wanted you for a particular role in their company or you may have been their first choice to take to the prom. In both cases, you were most likely pursued.

Hiring managers need to pursue talent the same way they would go after a ticket to a sold-out Bruce Springsteen show–with gusto! Do whatever is required to get the attention of the person you’ve identified as “the one” for your team. Don’t stop until you get a yes!

You’re focusing on the wrong things. I get how you want your applicant tracking system to completely integrate with your Human Resource Information System and you are investing heavily to make this so. However, given today’s unemployment and JOLT numbers, you’ve got bigger fish to fry.

Processes are not going to get your job filled. To do so, you need people who know how to attract and retain talent. This requires transforming your hiring managers into talent magnets. Doing so, will help you dramatically reduce the time it’s taking you to fill your current job openings.

Your applicant experience is dreadful. We always tell job candidates they only have one chance to make a great impression. Well, the same holds true for employers. I hear tons of horror stories from candidates regarding their experience with a company’s interviewing process. Many are relieved when they never hear back from the employer, as they can only imagine how awful it might be to work in this type of environment day in and day out.

Treat your applicants as well as you treat your customers and you’ll be golden.

Your hiring managers don’t know how to hire. Where is it written that upon promotion to management, you automatically acquire the assessing candidates gene that seems to be missing from many hiring managers? Most hiring managers have no idea how to hire. I can say this as I’ve taught thousands of hiring managers how to select for success. One such hiring manager comes to mind. She said the following to me after attending a course I facilitated on Selecting for Success. “I’ve been interviewing for years and now I finally know why I’ve been asking these questions!”

Now that I’ve exposed the real truth about hiring managers, it’s up to you to help these people dramatically improve their ability to select new hires. Believe me when I tell you that most will be eternally grateful that you are finally giving them support.

Stop eliminating candidates based on salary. Many companies toss out anyone who is asking for more money than we are willing to pay. This usually results in a huge chunk of the talent pool–those over the age of 40–being tossed out as well.

Take a few moments to have a conversation with a candidate before discarding them because of money. By doing so, you may find that many candidates are more flexible on salary than you had originally thought.

The best way to take charge of life is to clear away the mental clutter and get real. Whether you’re an over-thinker, an under-achiever or a worrywart, a no-nonsense approach to life is a great way to clean up your act.

As I child, I was always thinking: analyzing, criticizing everything to death. I assure you, it was an exhausting way to live – especially when trying to learn calculus. The BANE of my existence was math. I just could not do it. My problem? Over-thinking. Some of the best advice I ever received came from my science teacher – she said: Caitlin, simplify.

That’s it.

Now, I’m not a mathematician, or even a science major, but that single word changed the way I did math and eventually, the way I did life. It still took a few years of young 20s foolishness to figure how it worked for things like relationships, job interviews, negotiating that raise, or buying a car.

Now that I know the no-nonsense approach, I thought I’d share it with you. Remember, it’s not a cure-all. It’s just a perspective: a philosophy, a way to do life that seems to work. It’s what happens when you Simplify.

1. Do Not Be Deterred

There will be times when you want to quit, when others want you to quit. Don’t quit. Don’t even think about quitting.

Believing in yourself is important, but there is a difference between being confident and being cocky. Be willing to understand your limits, know what you’re worth and what you can ask for. When it comes to the various relationships we have – work, family, partners – approaching them with an open mind and a clear sense of self-worth is always in our best interest.

4. Hustle

It’s true, nothing worth having is free. I mean really worth having. You’ve got to show up to every moment in life – the good, the bad and the ugly. A no-nonsense person doesn’t flake when the going gets tough, and they definitely don’t wait around for handouts. Roll up your sleeves, lend a hand, a shoulder to cry on. You’ve got to do good to get great, so commit to the kind of work it is going to take for you to succeed personally and professionally.

5. Know What You Want And How To Get It

Make a list, a mind-map, a song, a drawing, a vision board. Whatever. Just figure out what it is you that you want, and then figure out how to get it. If you don’t know, ask someone who does. Talk with experts in your industry, speak to people have experience who can mentor you and point you in the right direction. Once you have a plan of action attack!

6. Be Aware Of The Bull

This one is pretty simple – be aware of the bull, yours and others. There are misguided beliefs we have about ourselves that hold us back, or delude us into making bad decisions. There are also people out there who will tell you what you want to hear – even if they have the best intentions for you, it may not be good for you in the long run. Learn how to recognize the truth and spot a lie.

7. Stop Doing What Doesn’t Work

They say that the definition of crazy is doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results. Listen, if something doesn’t work, don’t try to make it work. I’m not telling you to give up, what I’m saying here is: don’t repeat your mistakes. I know it’s easier said than done, but when you make a mistake, make note of it. Write it down – what did you do? Why didn’t it work?

Learn from it, figure out how you can do things differently, then do that.

Life isn’t foolproof, we’re imperfect people doing our best to get this right – for ourselves, our children, our communities. So, take it all with a grain of salt. Approach this incredible gift with a sense of wonder, but handle the basics with no-nonsense.

I cover topics about having a strong faith and building a business. The future doesn’t belong to the talented. It belongs to the cultured. Culture cannot be taught but competency can.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

The last three hires I’ve made at Vanderbloemen, I have passed on super competent candidates in favor of less “talented” people.

I couldn’t be happier with my choices.

Why? I’m convinced that culture trumps competency every single time. So I’ve focused my hiring on people who fit our culture. I’ve trusted that competency (read, talent) can largely be learned. So far, the theory is proving to be true.

In our work as an executive search firm, we are constantly asked about the “war for talent.” I read articles that bear titles like: “There aren’t enough people to go around,” or “The Coming Talent Crisis.” As the baby boomers age, we face the largest wave of retirement in US history. Smart people are noticing that. They’re also aware that there aren’t many people available in the next generation, and it’s causing a panic.

At the age of 31, I became a young leader of a large church, and I noticed this pattern right away. Over 90% of all pastors in my type of church were over 40. So I went after young pastors for our staff. I hired three that were the most talented guys I’d ever interviewed. But I failed to focus on cultural fit and failed to pay attention to developing a healthy culture. No matter how much talent I hired, it never seemed to work out. I should have paid more attention to building good culture and hiring around it.

Now that my team has completed over 10,000 face to face interviews, I’ve been watching the talent horizon for a long time. I agree, there’s a shortage coming. But talent won’t be the trump card for winning as an employee or employer in the long run.

The future doesn’t belong to the talented. It belongs to the cultured.

Leaders who know their company culture and hire around it will see far more dividends than those who hire just for talent. Similarly, people looking for their “dream job” will find it when they look for a company that they fit culturally rather than simply a company that has a high growth rate or even a better compensation package.

Culture trumps competency every single time. Why?

Culture cannot be taught but competency can. With the dawn of the digital age, we now live inside the largest library ever. Nearly everything can be learned online. Look no further than the popularity home improvement shows, the rise of shows that spot unspotted talent in a crowd like The Voice, or the vast surge of online courses that can be taken to learn a new skill. I saw an ad for an online cooking course designed for “The Single Vegan Dad Trying To Feed Kids On a Tight Budget!” Ten years ago, nobody even knew what “DIY” meant. Now, it’s a part of our vocabulary (if you don’t know what it is, then figure it out yourself…).

So if you’re looking for a leg up on the job hunt, or if you’re trying to hire for the future, focus on these questions:

Does the workplace have a well articulated company culture? Far too many companies have “cultural values” listed somewhere on paper, but they are pabulum. They use words and phrases like, “We value excellence.” Who doesn’t? Instead, look for values that stand out and uniquely name the DNA of the company. One example is the Netflix Culture Deck. Another example is our company values at Vanderbloemen that our team crowdsourced and cemented together about four years ago. Company values shouldn’t be stashed away in a file somewhere. You should be able to spot them in the daily rhythms of the company.

Does the job (if you’re searching) or the employee (if you’re hiring) operate with the “same kind of crazy” as you? The more I study companies and people, the more I’m realizing that we are all some form of crazy (starting with me and my strange journey to running my company). Admitting that is the first step toward finding people and a workplace that thrives. When we interview people for our team, we start with giving them a list of reasons they really don’t want to come work here, and we use our cultural values to frame those questions. For instance, we require a very high, almost OCD, obsession with quick responses to clients and candidate. It’s our value of “ridiculous responsiveness.” We say to interviewees, “If you like predictable, routine, easy to schedule work, please save yourself and leave the interview now. We’re not that, and you’ll probably think we are crazy.” This gives both our team and the candidates we’re interviewing a litmus test during the vetting process that can help us assess cultural match early on.

Is the core competency of the job something that can be easily learned? Some things can be taught quickly. Other things, say brain surgery and rocket science, do take intensive training that cannot be overlooked. But my guess is that most jobs have a higher quotient of “learnability” than most people initially realize. While it might take ninety days for a person to fully develop a skill set, I believe a cultural match cannot be taught, no matter how long the person has to learn it.

Culture isn’t just a buzzword. It’s the new currency for both hiring the right people and finding your dream job.